Classic car dealer arrested for stealing vehicles

LEE COUNTY: A dealer in classic cars was arrested Tuesday for stealing the cars he was supposed to be selling. Daniel Lussier, owner of Auto Image Motor Cars, is charged with larceny.

Lussier was supposed to be a broker, selling classic cars for people and then keeping a percentage of the profits. Instead, deputies say he would sell the cars and keep the money - essentially stealing them.

Felix Yukhtman hired Lussier to sell his 1964 Corvette.

"We didn't have the money, we didn't have the car, we had no idea we would ever see any money out of this car," he said.

Yukhtman is one of more than a dozen people to complain to the sheriff's office about Lussier's company.

Some of the claims against Lussier are even more outrageous.

"I dropped it off to be detailed and cleaned and the next thing I know the car is being sold," said Chris Gendreau.

Last week, before his arrest, Lussier told NBC2 he was innocent.

"Whatever information you're getting on that side, what that one person said about dropping a car off to get detailed is completely erroneous information, completely. Make sure you know your sources are not correct," said Lussier.

Detectives say Lussier didn't just rip off victims - he also stole from investors, never giving them the money they were owed.

Cameron Beilman says Lussier owes his family $300,000.

"I'm not gonna let him get away with it, he might have gotten away with my money, but he's not gonna get away with being a criminal," said Beilman.

So far only one charge has been filed against Lussier, but detectives say more are pending.

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